This Thing Called Christmas
As I awake from sleep at 4:37 AM, my mind wanders to this thing we experience between Thanksgiving Day and New Years Day called Christmas. Sometimes I will hear “Christmas Carols” on the radio and think about the lyrics and whether they are telling an accurate story of what this season is all about.
The ones that talk about St. Nicholas or Santa Claus are an aspect of this season. But, why then don’t we call it St. Nicholas Day? How did the term St. Nicholas come to be and how did the term Christmas come to be? Which came first (the chicken or the egg?)?
Could you have a St. Nicholas Day without first having a Christ-mass day (it‘s not that I don‘t know how to spell, I‘m trying to get you to think “outside the box”)?
St Nicholas… if you type St. Nicholas into your web browser and click “go”, it will take you to all kinds of information on St. Nicholas. He was a real man who lived in the his adult years in A.D. 300’s and is reported to have died in A.D. 343. This should be your first clue as to “Who” came first. A.D. simply means, Anno Domini, in the year of our Lord. So… you have to have a Lord first. St. Nicholas lived in the area of Turkey on the south-west tip in an area called Myra. His life was dedicated to helping the poor, from the commandment that Jesus himself gave, “sell what you have and give to the poor”. Again, “Who” came first? The St. Nicholas celebration was held on December 6, to honor the death of St. Nicholas and help preserve the day of Christmas to focus on the Christ Child. St Nicholas’ life became legend and his mission became that of many, many people throughout the world. That is why St. Nicholas or Santa Claus is celebrated throughout the world. Much more can be said of St. Nicholas, but if you need that information, search it out for yourself.
Jesus Christ…again, if you type the name Jesus Christ into your web browser and click “go”, you will have a lot of information. He was a man who lived at a certain time in history. That time is what we now understand as the separation of B.C. and A.D., the actual date is uncertain, but his life is not. Jesus had many, many wonderful teachings such as, sell what you have and give it to the poor, turn the other cheek, honor your father and mother, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.
But… it was more than His life and teachings that make Him different from any other man. It was His death and resurrection that set Him apart from any other man or religious leader in all of history. To have death and resurrection, you must have a birth. Many, many religions follow the essence of Christianity without taking the person of Christianity.
The real teaching of Christmas is that Jesus was God who was born of a virgin, a miracle. That’s what we celebrate on December, 25th.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Amusements
Where does your mind go when you hear the word amusements? Is it the latest roller-coaster? Is it the amusement park you go to every summer? Is it the local movie complex? Is it the day you take off work to go golfing? Or is amusement to you that quiet day on the lake or river to go fishing? Or maybe it’s just being “left alone” with the remote to live vicariously through our favorite pro athlete. For women it may be, to live the in romance of a beautiful leading lady being wooed and enticed by a handsome leading man.
Amusement: 1. the condition of being amused; 2. something that amuses or entertains; 3. entertainment.
Then you go to the base word amuse and the definition is this… 1. to keep pleasantly and enjoyably occupied or interested; 2. to make laugh, smile etc. by being comical or humorous. 3. to engage or distract the attention of. Synonyms are… entertain, divert, beguile.
If you break down the word even more, from amuse to muse, the definition is, 1. to think deeply and at length; 2. to meditate.
Now, if you look at the prefix “a”, this is a negative prefix that means “not to”; thus, not to think or meditate.
My point is this… how much do we “amuse” ourselves, are we saturating our minds with “amusements” so that we don’t have to think? Have amusements become an addictive process that is called “normal”? Do we say, “I would rather be entertained than have to deal with reality”? Do we get our lifestyle and thinking from Hollywood or do we “muse” on reality? Do we spend more time thinking and reading about the latest gossip from Entertainment Tonight or the Tonight Show, or Late Night? Do you know more about Sarah Jessica Parker than you do about the Apostle Peter? Does this type of thinking, or lack of it, lead to indifference and apathy? The next portion is from my writing of The Spiritual Implications of the November 2008 Elections.
About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier: 'A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.' 'A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.' 'From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.'
'The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years'. 'During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:
1. from bondage to spiritual faith;
2. from spiritual faith to great courage;
3. from courage to liberty
4. from liberty to abundance;
5. from abundance to complacency;
6. from complacency to apathy;
7. from apathy to dependence;
8. from dependence back into bondage.
So in the light of “amusements”… where are we in the process of life as we know it? If I don’t think, I don’t have to worry and if I don’t worry, someone else will take care of it for me. And if someone else will take care of it for me, they will take care of me! The “proverbial they”, will do it all. They is me and they is you!!! We will be responsible for taking care of those who only want to be “amused”.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (Those who hunger and thirst for truth). After all, I’m just trying to get you to muse, to think
Following the Shepherd,
Ron
Where does your mind go when you hear the word amusements? Is it the latest roller-coaster? Is it the amusement park you go to every summer? Is it the local movie complex? Is it the day you take off work to go golfing? Or is amusement to you that quiet day on the lake or river to go fishing? Or maybe it’s just being “left alone” with the remote to live vicariously through our favorite pro athlete. For women it may be, to live the in romance of a beautiful leading lady being wooed and enticed by a handsome leading man.
Amusement: 1. the condition of being amused; 2. something that amuses or entertains; 3. entertainment.
Then you go to the base word amuse and the definition is this… 1. to keep pleasantly and enjoyably occupied or interested; 2. to make laugh, smile etc. by being comical or humorous. 3. to engage or distract the attention of. Synonyms are… entertain, divert, beguile.
If you break down the word even more, from amuse to muse, the definition is, 1. to think deeply and at length; 2. to meditate.
Now, if you look at the prefix “a”, this is a negative prefix that means “not to”; thus, not to think or meditate.
My point is this… how much do we “amuse” ourselves, are we saturating our minds with “amusements” so that we don’t have to think? Have amusements become an addictive process that is called “normal”? Do we say, “I would rather be entertained than have to deal with reality”? Do we get our lifestyle and thinking from Hollywood or do we “muse” on reality? Do we spend more time thinking and reading about the latest gossip from Entertainment Tonight or the Tonight Show, or Late Night? Do you know more about Sarah Jessica Parker than you do about the Apostle Peter? Does this type of thinking, or lack of it, lead to indifference and apathy? The next portion is from my writing of The Spiritual Implications of the November 2008 Elections.
About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier: 'A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.' 'A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.' 'From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.'
'The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years'. 'During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:
1. from bondage to spiritual faith;
2. from spiritual faith to great courage;
3. from courage to liberty
4. from liberty to abundance;
5. from abundance to complacency;
6. from complacency to apathy;
7. from apathy to dependence;
8. from dependence back into bondage.
So in the light of “amusements”… where are we in the process of life as we know it? If I don’t think, I don’t have to worry and if I don’t worry, someone else will take care of it for me. And if someone else will take care of it for me, they will take care of me! The “proverbial they”, will do it all. They is me and they is you!!! We will be responsible for taking care of those who only want to be “amused”.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (Those who hunger and thirst for truth). After all, I’m just trying to get you to muse, to think
Following the Shepherd,
Ron
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Cost - Value – Worth
The title should conjure up a lot of thoughts. Isn’t what it costs, what it is worth? Isn’t its value reflected on the price tag? Why would I pay more than it’s worth?
I’m thinking about several ways to compare and analyze cost, value and worth. I manufacture a widget. The material for my widget costs me $50.00. To pay a person to manipulate that material into a finished produce costs me $50.00 per hour and it takes an hour to produce it, therefore the widget costs $100.00. Now, if I sell my widget for $100.00 I make no profit and I will soon be out of business. So, I mark it up 30% to make a profit of $30.00.
But wait, I have to pay for heat, electricity, water and a few other odds and ends, so I had better mark it up 50% and make $50.00. I almost lost my shirt on that one.
To the consumer, my widget costs $150.00 and that’s a great value. Some people around the world would pay twice that for the same product. Just so they could say, “I’ve got one”. But, I’m not a large enough company to go international. That would take a lot of money and a lot of talented people to produce my widget.
So, is my widget worth $300.00? To some, maybe yes, but to others it’s not.
I’m a car guy. I like to watch the Barrett-Jackson car auction. They showcase some of the most incredible automobiles in the world and they’re “for sale”. I have owned six Corvettes and when a Corvette comes on the block, my heart races. The early Corvettes 1952 through 1967 are my favorites. The original cost for a Corvette in those years was $3,000.00 to $6,000.00. At the Barrett-Jackson today, these cars sell for $30,000 to $200,000. That would be their value in my analogy. Now, what is their worth? To the person who just paid the money, their worth is just what he/she paid for it. Sometimes they think its worth is far more than what they paid. To me, they are not worth that much. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to own one again… but, there are things in this world that have much more worth to me than owning another Corvette. Seven would be a nice number and also a biblical number, which brings me to my point.
Biblical, scriptural and spiritual cost, value and worth are my main purpose for writing this paper.
What did it cost Adam and Eve for their disobedience in the Garden of Eden? Actually, it cost them everything. It cost them their home, their own personal relationship and their relationship with God. How would you rate the value and the worth of sin?
What did it cost Lot in his disobedience in the land of Sodom and Gomorra?
It cost him his wife. How would you rate the value and worth of sin?
What did it cost King David in his disobedience with Bathsheba? It cost him his son. How would you rate the value and worth of sin?
What about you? Are you willing to pass up the best to get a passing pleasure?
The cost of an item, as discussed above, depends on what the raw materials and labor cost, plus overhead. Your raw materials probably had a cost of $4.00 - $6.00, you know, dirt. But, you were fearfully and wonderfully made. He knit you together in your mother’s womb. He knew you from the foundations of the earth.
The value of an item is what its marketability is. How well will it sell? Who will pay the price you’re asking? You were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your bodies.
Worth is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t believe that any Corvette is worth the type of money paid for it. I think that everything in this world is highly over-rated and over priced… except the soul of a man.
The cost Jesus paid for your and my sin was total obedience. He willingly went to the cross to pay the penalty for the sin of the world, every person that had been born and would be born in this world. The value He placed on you was His blood, the sacrifice of One for the many. Your worth to Him is so great that, as it has been said, “If you were the only person in the world, Jesus would still have come and died for you”.
Value and worth are also associated with how many were made. The 1953 Corvette went into production and GM was so scared that they only produced 300 units (cars). It went over well, so the next year of the 1954 Corvette 3,639 units were produced. But at the end of the 1954 season they had 1,076 left over. So, in 1955 they wanted to continue the “True American Sports Car”, but only built 700. So therefore, the worth is based on the number made.
There is only one of you. There will never be another. Even if you are a twin or a sextuplet, Your DNA is totally different from that of any one else in the world. You are special. God looks at you and sees the beauty and potential He has designed for you and you alone. It cost Jesus everything He had to make you everything you could be. So you must be very valuable and a “Pearl of Great Price”. Your worth is beyond measure.
No other religious leader has laid down his life for his followers. Most of them ask you to lay down your life for them. Most ask you to give all you have, time, money and energy to them.
Jesus says, “Come to Me and I will give you rest”. He also says, “Take up your cross and follow Me”.
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords left His Throne in heaven and came to this earth, became a man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, rose from the dead, went back to heaven and there intercedes on our behalf. Will you accept the gift He offers? You are of great worth!
Following the Shepherd,
Ron Eskew
The title should conjure up a lot of thoughts. Isn’t what it costs, what it is worth? Isn’t its value reflected on the price tag? Why would I pay more than it’s worth?
I’m thinking about several ways to compare and analyze cost, value and worth. I manufacture a widget. The material for my widget costs me $50.00. To pay a person to manipulate that material into a finished produce costs me $50.00 per hour and it takes an hour to produce it, therefore the widget costs $100.00. Now, if I sell my widget for $100.00 I make no profit and I will soon be out of business. So, I mark it up 30% to make a profit of $30.00.
But wait, I have to pay for heat, electricity, water and a few other odds and ends, so I had better mark it up 50% and make $50.00. I almost lost my shirt on that one.
To the consumer, my widget costs $150.00 and that’s a great value. Some people around the world would pay twice that for the same product. Just so they could say, “I’ve got one”. But, I’m not a large enough company to go international. That would take a lot of money and a lot of talented people to produce my widget.
So, is my widget worth $300.00? To some, maybe yes, but to others it’s not.
I’m a car guy. I like to watch the Barrett-Jackson car auction. They showcase some of the most incredible automobiles in the world and they’re “for sale”. I have owned six Corvettes and when a Corvette comes on the block, my heart races. The early Corvettes 1952 through 1967 are my favorites. The original cost for a Corvette in those years was $3,000.00 to $6,000.00. At the Barrett-Jackson today, these cars sell for $30,000 to $200,000. That would be their value in my analogy. Now, what is their worth? To the person who just paid the money, their worth is just what he/she paid for it. Sometimes they think its worth is far more than what they paid. To me, they are not worth that much. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to own one again… but, there are things in this world that have much more worth to me than owning another Corvette. Seven would be a nice number and also a biblical number, which brings me to my point.
Biblical, scriptural and spiritual cost, value and worth are my main purpose for writing this paper.
What did it cost Adam and Eve for their disobedience in the Garden of Eden? Actually, it cost them everything. It cost them their home, their own personal relationship and their relationship with God. How would you rate the value and the worth of sin?
What did it cost Lot in his disobedience in the land of Sodom and Gomorra?
It cost him his wife. How would you rate the value and worth of sin?
What did it cost King David in his disobedience with Bathsheba? It cost him his son. How would you rate the value and worth of sin?
What about you? Are you willing to pass up the best to get a passing pleasure?
The cost of an item, as discussed above, depends on what the raw materials and labor cost, plus overhead. Your raw materials probably had a cost of $4.00 - $6.00, you know, dirt. But, you were fearfully and wonderfully made. He knit you together in your mother’s womb. He knew you from the foundations of the earth.
The value of an item is what its marketability is. How well will it sell? Who will pay the price you’re asking? You were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your bodies.
Worth is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t believe that any Corvette is worth the type of money paid for it. I think that everything in this world is highly over-rated and over priced… except the soul of a man.
The cost Jesus paid for your and my sin was total obedience. He willingly went to the cross to pay the penalty for the sin of the world, every person that had been born and would be born in this world. The value He placed on you was His blood, the sacrifice of One for the many. Your worth to Him is so great that, as it has been said, “If you were the only person in the world, Jesus would still have come and died for you”.
Value and worth are also associated with how many were made. The 1953 Corvette went into production and GM was so scared that they only produced 300 units (cars). It went over well, so the next year of the 1954 Corvette 3,639 units were produced. But at the end of the 1954 season they had 1,076 left over. So, in 1955 they wanted to continue the “True American Sports Car”, but only built 700. So therefore, the worth is based on the number made.
There is only one of you. There will never be another. Even if you are a twin or a sextuplet, Your DNA is totally different from that of any one else in the world. You are special. God looks at you and sees the beauty and potential He has designed for you and you alone. It cost Jesus everything He had to make you everything you could be. So you must be very valuable and a “Pearl of Great Price”. Your worth is beyond measure.
No other religious leader has laid down his life for his followers. Most of them ask you to lay down your life for them. Most ask you to give all you have, time, money and energy to them.
Jesus says, “Come to Me and I will give you rest”. He also says, “Take up your cross and follow Me”.
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords left His Throne in heaven and came to this earth, became a man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, rose from the dead, went back to heaven and there intercedes on our behalf. Will you accept the gift He offers? You are of great worth!
Following the Shepherd,
Ron Eskew
The Gift
As we have just gotten through Christmas 2008 my mind goes to an observation of this dearly loved season. I’m not sure all appreciate it in the same fashion.
We spend a lot of time thinking about that special gift for each person which will fill their hearts with joy. For the little ones, that’s not hard to do. As the age goes higher it becomes more difficult. But, we get clues all year long about something the person wants and they never seem to find the time or have the money, even when it’s “on sale”. So, we file it away and when the time comes, hopefully when it’s on sale, we buy it for them and save it until Christmas to have the perfect gift.
We give it with great joy and pleasure, knowing that we have hit the mark with that one person. They receive it with joy and ask, “How did you know?” You remark, “Remember last Aug. you said you really wanted it, well I kept my eyes open for the sales and bought it for you in Oct.” You have a friend for life, or so you think.
As time passes, you never see the person use it, wear it, read it, or make any further comments about the gift. Was it really as important as the person made it out to be? Was it a “passing fancy”? You’re confused, but not sure how to ask the question in the right manner as not to lose a friend or hurt the relationship, but you are curious.
What happens to the gifts we give? Are they used, abused, or just forgotten about? It’s all up to the person who receives them. You see, we have good or even great intentions with our gift giving. All we want to do is share and inspire a bit of joy and happiness. But the receiver is the one who has the option to maintain the gift to its full potential. Clothes and shoes we like normally get worn out. All the while we wish we had bought a second pair to have when the original wear out. I can only give the gift I want to give a person and it’s up to them what happens after that. I can’t tell them to use this only on special occasions or just when the sun is out. I can’t tell them how to play with the new game.
Some people just seem to ruin a gift within a few short weeks if not days. And I can say nothing about it. When it leaves my hand it’s “all theirs”. It now longer belongs to me; I have no control over it. If I want to control it, I keep it for myself.
Sad, but true, the gifts we give don’t belong to us any more. We paid for it, we wrapped it, and we gave it. It is no longer ours.
I see people all around me who have been given a wonderful present and don’t really appreciate it. To them it wasn’t big enough, it wasn’t strong enough, it wasn’t fast enough, and it wasn’t shiny enough. They say, “I tried it and it didn’t work for me, so I will try something newer and bigger”.
That is what I’m seeing in the world today regarding Jesus. This wonderful Gift has been given and so many, too many, are saying, “I tried it and it didn’t work for me”. Some even say, “Oh, I love Jesus”, and live life without Him. People put Him on the shelf like an old book and dust it off every month or two, but don’t pick Him up and read Him. They abuse Him by not living in the manner which is pleasing to Him. They give “lip service” not “life service”. They pick and choose like going down a cafeteria line and picking out all the sweets and goodies, while skipping the meat and vegetables and salads.
With gift giving there is also gift receiving. One, you have to receive the gift. Someone can hold out a gift and offer it to you. But, until you take it in your hand and bring it into your possession it is not yours. Two, what you do with the gift is up to you. I can’t tell you how to appreciate it. I can’t tell you how to use it. I can hope and pray that the gift will be used properly and with great care and love. But ultimately, it’s up to you.
Which brings me to and end; one, what will you do with Jesus? And two, my next writing will be Cost, Value and Worth.
Following the Shepherd,
Ron Eskew
As we have just gotten through Christmas 2008 my mind goes to an observation of this dearly loved season. I’m not sure all appreciate it in the same fashion.
We spend a lot of time thinking about that special gift for each person which will fill their hearts with joy. For the little ones, that’s not hard to do. As the age goes higher it becomes more difficult. But, we get clues all year long about something the person wants and they never seem to find the time or have the money, even when it’s “on sale”. So, we file it away and when the time comes, hopefully when it’s on sale, we buy it for them and save it until Christmas to have the perfect gift.
We give it with great joy and pleasure, knowing that we have hit the mark with that one person. They receive it with joy and ask, “How did you know?” You remark, “Remember last Aug. you said you really wanted it, well I kept my eyes open for the sales and bought it for you in Oct.” You have a friend for life, or so you think.
As time passes, you never see the person use it, wear it, read it, or make any further comments about the gift. Was it really as important as the person made it out to be? Was it a “passing fancy”? You’re confused, but not sure how to ask the question in the right manner as not to lose a friend or hurt the relationship, but you are curious.
What happens to the gifts we give? Are they used, abused, or just forgotten about? It’s all up to the person who receives them. You see, we have good or even great intentions with our gift giving. All we want to do is share and inspire a bit of joy and happiness. But the receiver is the one who has the option to maintain the gift to its full potential. Clothes and shoes we like normally get worn out. All the while we wish we had bought a second pair to have when the original wear out. I can only give the gift I want to give a person and it’s up to them what happens after that. I can’t tell them to use this only on special occasions or just when the sun is out. I can’t tell them how to play with the new game.
Some people just seem to ruin a gift within a few short weeks if not days. And I can say nothing about it. When it leaves my hand it’s “all theirs”. It now longer belongs to me; I have no control over it. If I want to control it, I keep it for myself.
Sad, but true, the gifts we give don’t belong to us any more. We paid for it, we wrapped it, and we gave it. It is no longer ours.
I see people all around me who have been given a wonderful present and don’t really appreciate it. To them it wasn’t big enough, it wasn’t strong enough, it wasn’t fast enough, and it wasn’t shiny enough. They say, “I tried it and it didn’t work for me, so I will try something newer and bigger”.
That is what I’m seeing in the world today regarding Jesus. This wonderful Gift has been given and so many, too many, are saying, “I tried it and it didn’t work for me”. Some even say, “Oh, I love Jesus”, and live life without Him. People put Him on the shelf like an old book and dust it off every month or two, but don’t pick Him up and read Him. They abuse Him by not living in the manner which is pleasing to Him. They give “lip service” not “life service”. They pick and choose like going down a cafeteria line and picking out all the sweets and goodies, while skipping the meat and vegetables and salads.
With gift giving there is also gift receiving. One, you have to receive the gift. Someone can hold out a gift and offer it to you. But, until you take it in your hand and bring it into your possession it is not yours. Two, what you do with the gift is up to you. I can’t tell you how to appreciate it. I can’t tell you how to use it. I can hope and pray that the gift will be used properly and with great care and love. But ultimately, it’s up to you.
Which brings me to and end; one, what will you do with Jesus? And two, my next writing will be Cost, Value and Worth.
Following the Shepherd,
Ron Eskew
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